Death in a Cradle
by scullcandy
Summary: a story for my Sanubis lovlies. i assume you all can infer the topic of the story from my title. (a new chapter will be added every thursday).
1. Chapter 1

Anubis POV

"Mm, that was great," Sadie purred, nuzzling my bare chest. I smiled, petting her hair. We were lounging in her room, catching our breath from the wild sex we'd just finished. Sadie stretched, displaying a remarkable figure for a fourteen year old. I felt a slight twinge of satisfaction at the trail of love marks she had going down her spine.

"Can you come again tomorrow night?" Sadie asked, looking up at me with expression of hope.

"Getting greedy, are we?" I asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She smiled and leaned up to kiss my cheek.

I sighed. If it were up to me I would be in her room every night, pleasing her to no end. But I was barely managing to sneak away once a month to see her without the gods noticing. If I was caught, or someone started to suspect that I had become a mortal's lover, Sadie would be punished for my actions. She could be imprisoned…or worse.

A fresh wave of guilt went down my spine. I always came to see her with the intention of stopping our intimacy in the bed, but left her completely defeated. One kiss was all it took for a month's worth of planning to go into a grave.

"No, beauty, I've told you before, only once a month," I said, forcing the objection through my teeth.

She sighed, disappointment in her eyes. "Okay."

I kissed her again, savoring the feel of her soft skin on mine, her small hands around my own. I would think of us like this all month, to keep me going.

"I love you," I purred, hugging her to me tightly. I looked out the window. The sun was coming up.

"Sadie, I have to-"

"Go,"' she finished glumly. "You have to go."

I sighed and tilted her chin up, meeting her gloomy eyes. "Don't be so blue, I'll be back next month."

She sighed, "I know. I just wish…." She trailed off, looking a little put down.

I kissed her on the forehead. "Beauty, I wish the same, but I can't. I will see you next month. I love you."

She gave me a small smile. "I love you too."

I stood and summoned my clothing. Sadie stretched out luxuriously once more and sank into a deep sleep. I smiled loving, kissing her forehead before dissolving into the shadows.

 **New chapters will be added every Thursday; New stories will be uploaded every Tuesday**


	2. Chapter 2

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"No, no, no," I muttered, looking down at the piece of plastic in my hands. Two lines. I'm pregnant.

"No, this can't be happening," I pleaded, wishing the lines would go away.

Suddenly another wave of nausea hit me. I fell to my knees, barely making it back to the toilet. I sat there heaving, losing all contents of my stomach. There shouldn't have been anything left to come up. I'd been deathly ill the past month and had hardly eaten anything.

Right after Anubis left I started feeling a little off. It was small things at first: being more tired than usual, the scent of food making me wrinkle my nose, my stomach bloating. Now it was horrible: I could barely force myself out of bed in the morning, I couldn't eat and if I did it wouldn't stay down; my stomach was still flat but that was definantly going to change-you know, if I didn't starve first.

Oh no, what was Anubis going to-?

Anubis.

Oh gods.

What if he left me? What if he never really loved me and had just been around for the sex? What if I had to take care of a half-human child for the rest of my life, all alone? I couldn't-no-I couldn't be a single mother at fourteen. The thought of never seeing Anubis again, alone with a child, no one to love me-what if the child didn't like me? What if I didn't make it through and my baby was an orphan? What if I did live through it? I'd grown up without a father for most of my life, did I really want to force that on an innocent child? Anubis was going to be here any minute, what was I supposed to tell him?

Panic started to build up. Suddenly it was hard to breath, hard to see straight. I curled over my stomach and screamed.

I don't know how long the panic attack lasted. All I know is that somewhere in the middle of it, Anubis rushed in and tried to pick me up, which resulted in me screaming again and thrashing, knocking my head against the tub. Red swam in front of my vision and I fell unconscious.

When I woke up, my head was in Anubis's lap and he was worriedly petting my head. I lifted one shaking hand and felt the bandages around my brow.

"Sadie!" he exclaimed, pulling me up and crushing me to his chest. "Gods, I didn't-you-it's been a year since you had a panic attack I didn't know what to do!"

I buried my face in his chest, stifling a sob as I remembered what had brought my panic attack on.

"Sadie, what's wrong?" Anubis said, holding me tightly.

I have to tell him, I thought, desperately trying not to fall apart.

"I'm pregnant," I choked.

He became very still. I looked up through my tears and saw him with a look of absolute shock and horror on his face. That expression was all it took. More tears filled my eyes and I started crying hysterically. I couldn't stop and I could barely breathe, but what didn't it matter?! He obviously didn't want the baby or me.

Eventually my sobs seemed to snap Anubis to the present because he began trying to talk to me, but I couldn't hear him. Eventually he gave up and cradled me in his lap, pressing me into him roughly. I sobbed, apologizing over and over again. Anything to keep him from letting me go. I just needed to be held one last time.

My tears eventually ran dry and my voice became hoarse and I lay in a shaking mess in Anubis's lap, hiccupping into his shirt. Anubis's face was a mask of calmness as he petted and talked to me in soothing tones.

"Are you done?" he asked gently.

I nodded pathetically.

"I'm going to assume those were your hormones," he said calmly, putting his chin on my head. "I honestly didn't think they'd be that bad-but I was most definantly wrong. I guess I need to be keeping a closer eye on you."

I choked, looking up at him. "You're not-you're not leaving me?"

He looked down and for a moment looked genuinely shocked. "Sadie, you actually thought I would _leave you_ because you're pregnant?!"

I nodded, flinching at the idea.

"I am not that lowly," he said vehemently, the anger in his voice chilling me to the bone. "It's insulting to know that you think I would act so disgustingly."

Tears filled my eyes again and I started to tremble. Anubis was never mad at me-irritated occasionally-but never mad. It was scary to see him like this.

Seeing my shaking melted his anger though. His voice dropped back into a soothing purr.

"No, don't cry," he pleaded. "I didn't mean to scare you, its okay."

"It's not ok-k-kay," I blubbered. "I don't know what to do-"

"Hush, hush," Anubis soothed, rubbing my back. I slumped into him, still hiccupping. My stomach was clenching painfully and my head hurt where I'd hit it.

"I don't feel good," I whimpered.

Anubis looked down at me in worry. "What's wrong? What hurts?"

"I'm starving," I said meekly. "I haven't eaten all week-"

"Sadie!"

"Nothing would stay down," I mumbled.

Anubis sighed, shaking his head. "There hasn't been an immortal child born in centuries, so I don't know much, but even if I didn't it might not apply since the child is only half human."

I buried my face in his chest.

"Sadie…" Anubis trailed off. "Are you sure-are you sure you want to keep it?"

I looked up at him. "I don't think I could kill a baby."

He nodded and buried his hands in my hair. I could tell he was deep in thought.

"Sadie, I don't think you can stay here," he finally said. "Officials from the House of Life pop in all the time, and once you start showing, they're going to want to know who the father is. Even if you lie, once the baby is born, it will be obvious. They'll kill you and the baby."

I looked up at him. He was right, of course, but- "where am I supposed to go?" I whispered. I couldn't live on the streets and going back to London….

"You'll come with me," he said. "I can hide you in the Duat until the child is born-"

"And then what?"

He looked down at me gravelly. "We present you and the child to your father and ask sanctuary for you from the other gods. He wouldn't kill his grandchild, or his daughter."

I thought for a moment, "when…when would I leave?"

"Now."

An hour later I had most my things packed. It felt strange, looking around my barren room. Anubis hadn't rushed me, he shadowed behind me, letting me take all the time in the world. I sighed, leaning into him.

"C'mon my love," he murmured, picking up my bags.

I followed him into the swirling vortex of shadow. It was cold and I clung tightly to Anubis.

When we stepped out I gasped. In front of me was a large temple, made of jet black stone, blue fire blazing in pits leading up the stairs. I looked at Anubis in wonder. He cracked on of his rare smiles that made my kneecaps turn to jelly.

"This is one of my old temples," he explained. He set my bags down on the first step and immediately a skeleton appeared. I squeaked and jumped behind Anubis. His eyes glittered with amusement.

"The great Sadie Kane, scared by a skeleton," he mused.

I punched him in the shoulder, my face turning bright red. The skeleton stood by, watching through hollow eye sockets. The effect was creepy.

"Please take these bags to my room and have it prepared for my mate, Lady Kane," Anubis ordered.

The skeleton's teeth clicked excitedly. As he picked my bags up, they disappeared into shadow, along with the skeleton. I looked at Anubis.

"You have a skeleton butler?"

He chuckled, "my dear Sadie, I have a skeleton _everything_. The dead serve me, and now you as well."

I balked. "Err-"

"Come along, your room should be ready," Anubis said happily, taking my hand. I took a step forward. My knees gave out and I hit the stone with a thud.

"Sadie!" Anubis exclaimed, dropping down to examine me.

"'m fine," I muttered. I tried to force my vision to focus, but it wouldn't. A wave of exhaustion hit me like a brick and I slumped into Anubis, too weak to support myself.

"You wore yourself out," Anubis realized. "Going through the Duat must've strained you more than usual."

 _It's the baby,_ I realized. I'd never just collapsed after a trip through the Duat.

Suddenly I was being carried. I looked up. Anubis had scooped me up and was carrying my up the steps of the temple. I didn't bother to argue and I relaxed. A little coddling now and then was probably good for me.

My vision started to dim….

What was I doing…?

I was sleeping wasn't I…?

Sleep…


	3. Chapter 3

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When I woke up I realized two things: first that I was in a bed that was not mine, and second, that whatever was cooking smelled heavenly.

I sat up. The bed was magnificent, big enough for five people. Four bed posts soared above me, ending in a scull at the top of each. The bed curtains had been tied to the posts so I could see. The blankets and pillows were black silk. I almost wanted to lie back down, it was so comfortable.

The rest of the room was no less grand. The ceiling was so high I had to crane my head up to look at it. The furnishings were cherry wood and black. I swung my legs out of bed, my toes just brushing the marble floor. I shivered, drawing one of the covers around me.

My suitcase and bags were in the corner, unzipped. I frowned and got up. They were empty. Instead, everything had been put in the dressers and neatly folded.

Again, that delicious scent wafted through the cracked door.

I might as well find out what that is, maybe I can find Anubis and explore a little bit too. I'd be here for nine months anyway-

Would it be nine months? A human was in their mum for nine months, I doubted gods carried the same amount of time. Humans carried for nine months and lived to around ninety. How long would something that lived indeffinantly be conceived for? I definantly did not want to be pregnant for a century. Would my baby be immortal?

 _That's enough Sadie,_ I chided myself _. You can think on these never-ending thoughts later, right now you need food._

I got up and pulled on a light jacket, and my combat boots, which had been placed at the end of my bed.

I poked my head out of the door. The hallway stretched to either side of me, doors every few feet, all of them closed. The scent seemed to be coming from the right though, so I set off to the right.

The walls were barren and the doors closed. The hallway started to curve and the smell got stronger. My stomach rumbled excitedly.

 _Calm down, I'll feed you in a mo,_ I thought, pressing my hand to my stomach.

Light streamed through an open door, illuminating the hallway. I poked my head through, sniffing the air.

Possibly the strangest kitchen I had ever seen was spread out before me. Huge fires were lit in garage-sized fire pits, but it wasn't hot. Different makes and models of stoves were every few feet, all of them piled with cooking food. Pans, bowls, spatulas, spoons, and hundreds of other cooking utensils were stirring and frying on their own, zooming around the room. In the center of it all was a very large woman with her back to me. Silver hair was pulled into a ponytail and a brown dress and aprons her covering her large figure. She turned around and I only had time to register that she was old and had very pretty green eyes before she ran towards me with a shriek of happiness and gave me a rib crushing hug.

Oh gods, Tawaret has a sister, I thought, trying to breathe.

"Oh, dear, I'm probably squishing the baby, aren't I?" she fretted, pulling away. Her eyes studied me with an expression of motherly affection.

"I…. the food smells really good," I said shyly, shifting my feet. My stomach rumbled loudly as if to agree with me.

The woman's eyes filled with sympathy, "oh you poor thing! You sound half starved! Don't worry, my temple is very cozy. You'll be fat and happy in no time-"

"Last time I checked, this is _my_ temple, Mrs. Brown, and she hasn't eaten in a while," a melodic voice crooned from the other side of the room. I whirled, landing my eyes on Anubis, propped up on the wall, sipping from a bottle of soda. My heart melted and I smiled meekly.

"Hello, my love," he purred, looking at me fondly.

Mrs. Brown pursed her lips at him in motherly sternness. "When I told you to go find a female, I did not mean instantly. I also didn't mean to get right onto reproducing either! I do not need a temple of little Anubis's running around. And really, I expected you to feed her better. She's half starved!"

Anubis raised an eyebrow at her teasingly. "I guess you should have been more specific on the breeding and all. And, I was not in charge of feeding her, so you can't blame that on me."

Mrs. Brown rolled her eyes at him, but I could tell she was amused.

My stomach rumbled again, even louder than the first time. I raised a hand to stop their argument.

"Can I please have something to eat?" I asked again quietly.

Mrs. Brown clapped her hands together, making a sound so loud that both Anubis and I nearly jumped out of our skin.

"Of course you can eat sweetie!" she exclaimed. "What do you want to eat? I can make any dish you can think of!"

I shifted my feet. "I don't care…"

"Give her some chicken and bread," Anubis said, coming to me and offering me a seat. I sat down and Mrs. Brown began working at the stove. I looked at Anubis and raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wasn't aware I was half starved," I said.

He smiled at me fondly. "Mrs. Brown thinks everyone is half starved. Although, I have to admit, you have lost a little weight."

"A lot of weight," Mrs. Brown said, appearing at my side and setting down a large plate piled high with chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, and a slice of steaming bread. I looked up at her in surprise. The food looked amazing. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been able to hold down food. The concept seemed foreign.

"Its okay sweetie," Mrs. Brown said, compassion filling her eyes. "You need to eat up."

Anubis handed me a fork. I took it and dipped it into the potatoes.

The food was delicious. I didn't realize just how starved I was until the food touched my mouth. I scarfed it down, clearing the plate within minutes.

"My love, you could've chewed if you wanted to, we wouldn't have taken the plate away if you didn't finish in five minutes," Anubis said in amusement. I blushed as Mrs. Brown took the plate away, ruffling my hair happily as she did so.

"Leave her alone, she was hungry," Mrs. Brown tittered.

I put my head on Anubis's shoulder and breathed in the familiar smell of his cologne. He slid his hands down from my back to my stomach and rubbed circles into the fabric.

"Here sweetie, have a bit of cake," Mrs. Brown offered, putting a small plate down in front of me. Despite how much I'd eaten, my mouth watered at the scent of the chocolate.

Anubis took his finger and dipped it into the icing, then smeared it on my nose. I gasped and punched him in the shoulder.

"Don't pester a woman when she's eating," Mrs. Brown scolded from the stove. "Especially a pregnant one."

I took a bite and once I put the fork down, Anubis took a bite. Together we finished the pie.

When we finished my eyes felt heavy. I slumped into Anubis, too sleepy to keep my eyes open. I felt too full. I'd definantly eaten too much.

"Sadie, are you sleepy?" Anubis said in amusement, looking at me dozing off on his shoulder.

"'m full," I mumbled.

"Really? Well, I'd hope so, you just about stuffed yourself," Anubis teased, leaning down to kiss the chocolate off my nose.

I blushed and sighed tiredly. "'m so sleepy."

Anubis smiled at me fondly. "I love you."

"I love you too," I immediately murmured sleepily. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off.


	4. Chapter 4

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I tossed off my court suit, wrenching the tie from around my neck. I was already late to see her. I grabbed the nearest black shirt I found on the floor and pulled it on and my leather jacket dress pants and pulled on jeans. As I walked I tied the laces on my combat boots, hopping a bit.

 _Gods, she's going to be mad at me,_ I thought.

Now that she was hidden in the Duat, I could see her more, but I still had to wait until her father and mother went to sleep so they didn't suspect anything. I saw her every other night now and I stayed with her all night long, but it was hardly enough.

I dissolved into shadows, hurrying to the temple. I stood there for a few minutes, trying to catch my breath.

"Anubis!" a voice exclaimed. I looked up just in time to see Sadie hurtling down the stairs of the temple and throwing herself straight into my arms. I caught her and stumbled. She threw her arms around me hoisted herself up and wrapped her legs around me too.

I looked up. Mrs. Brown was walking down the steps, taking her time. She eyed Sadie with a worried look.

"She got very anxious when you were late," Mrs. Brown said explained.

"No, I didn't," Sadie mumbled into my neck. I rubbed her back and set her on her feet. I held her at arm's length, studying her. I don't know why, but this has become a habit for me. Pulling away and just looking at her. I don't know if I just expected her now-flat stomach to spontaneously swell up, or what, but I couldn't look at her without studying her. She did look a little less underfed, maybe that was what I was monitoring. Of course, Mrs. Brown had taken it upon herself to make sure Sadie had more than enough to eat.

"Gods, you look tired," I worried. Sadie shook her head furiously. "No, I'm not tired!"

I raised an eyebrow at her. She was obviously having trouble keeping her eyes open and her hands were trembling. I looked at Mrs. Brown, who just shook her head. I sighed. Sadie had had a hard time sleeping when I wasn't with her, since she'd found out she was pregnant. I don't know if she was scared or restless or too lonely or what, but it worried me that she was trying hard to support herself and our child on only a few sleeps a week. I pulled her under my arm and started leading her up the steps. Sadie leaned into me.

I looked behind me to call to Mrs. Brown, but she had already slid off back to the kitchen. I looked back down at Sadie, who had fallen asleep on my side.

"Sadie, Sadie, Sadie," I chided fondly, scooping her up. I shadow travelled to her room.

Sadie had obviously marked the room for her own. There about twice the amount of covers on the bed and several articles of clothing lay scattered on the floor. I smiled, laying her down on the bed. She seemed to be adjusting to the new space just fine. I crawled up next to her and wrapped my arms around her, placing one hand on her stomach and the other behind my head.

"I love you beauty," I sighed, putting my chin on her head and closing my eyes.

When I woke up, Sadie was no longer under my arm. I bolted up, scanning the room for her. She was at the foot of the bed, tugging on jeans. She smiled at me when she saw I was awake.

"Your hair is an absolute mess," she teased, walking over to me.

I quickly patted it down. Sadie yawned and wrapped her arms around my torso.

"Why are you up if you're still sleepy?" I inquired, nuzzling her neck. She pulled away and shrugged.

"I can't stay in bed all day-"

"Yes you can."

"Anubis, really, I don't want to lay around eating for-"

"That's what you're _supposed_ to be doing!" I exclaimed in exasperation.

She rolled her eyes.

I sighed shook my head. I didn't know much about immortal children, but I did know that pregnant goddesses were spoiled from the moment they found out they were carrying. I still remembered seeing Isis with her diamond wrist cuff that Osiris had presented her with when he found out she was carrying Horus. Just a single link out of it could've fed an entire village.

I need to get her something, I thought tiredly, watching her lace up her tattered boots.

"c'mon, I'm starving," Sadie said, skipping over to me and grabbing my hand. I let her lead me out of the room. Several ghosts bowed to us and whispered excitedly once we passed.

"Oh hush," I grumbled, picking up my pace as Sadie tugged on my hand impatiently. The dead were almost beside themselves with joy that I now had a mate, and a pregnant one at that. Sadie had a sort of way about her that embodied life. The dead were drawn to her, especially now that she had another life in her too.

Mrs. Brown was loading our plates when we walked in. I smiled. Mrs. Brown had been my nursemaid when Osiris first took me under his wing. Once I was old enough that I was fairly independent, I couldn't just let him fire her and put her back in the que to have her soul judged. I offered her a position at my temple, my get away from the hall.

Sadie happily plopped down in a chair at the table. Without a word, Mrs. Brown set a plate down in front us. Mine had sausage biscuits-my favorite-and Sadie's had eggs, toast, bacon and scones.

"Hungry?" I teased.

She nodded and started inhaling the food. She was done before I even started on mine.

"Sadie, my dear, go ask on of the maids to bring me a towel please," Mrs. Brown asked politely when she saw that Sadie was finished.

"Oh, okay," Sadie said, getting up. Once she was out of the room Mrs. Brown gave a worried titter and picked up Sadie's plate.

"She's quite ravenous," Mrs. Brown said.

"I can see that."

"Anubis, I'm not one to pry, you know that, but I think you need to have a talk with Sadie," Mrs. Brown said slowly.

"About what?"

Mrs. Brown wrung her hands. "She's….well…it's hard to explain…"

I frowned. "What's wrong? Is she sick?"

"No, no, it's not anything physically wrong. It's just…she's awful….anxious. When you were not even a few minutes late she was pacing and refused to sit still. She was so scared that you wouldn't come, even though there was no reason for you not too. She's absolutely traumatized that one day you're just going to give up on her and leave her all by her lonesome. "

I sighed. What was it going to take to get it through her thick head that I wasn't going anywhere? Did I need to staple a note to her forehead?

"Here's that towel you asked for," Sadie said, walking back in. Mrs. Brown smiled at her fondly and shooed us off, casting me a meaningful look as we went out.

"Hey, Sadie, I think-I think I'll stay with you today," I offered.

Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? What about the hall?"

I smiled at her fondly. "A little break now and then is probably good for me."

Sadie threw her arms around me, face lit up in a beautiful smile. My heart just about melted when she didn't pull away.

"All right, all right," I finally said, poking her shoulder. "c'mon, I need to breathe. I have to go ask your father for the day off."

She pulled away, happily nodding.

I kissed her forehead and dissolved into shadow.

Osiris said yes, of course. I think he was a little relieved to have a day to himself as well. I bounded back up the steps of the temple, eager to spend the entire day with my Sadie.

When I got to the door, I knocked softly.

No answer.

I hesitantly opened it, peering inside.

"Sadie," I sighed, shaking my head. Sadie was curled in a tiny ball, fast asleep in a mound of blankets. She was snoring softly.

"Alright, c'mon, you can sleep later," I said, shaking her shoulder. She groaned, opening her eyes groggily.

"'m still tired," she yawned, stretching out.

"Too bad, c'mon, I want to show you something," I said, grabbing the pillow out from under her head.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, sitting up.

"You'll have to get up and see."

She sighed and hopped out of bed. I caught her arm as she stumbled.

"Careful!"

She shook her head, rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes. "Sorry."

"Can you change into an animal?" I asked.

She shrugged, "yes, but why?"

I grimaced. "You're going to need an animal form for the terrain."

She shut her eyes and wrinkled her nose. Her body suddenly became very short and furry.

 _Oh no,_ I whined. _Of all things, why does she have to be cat?!_

Sadie's animal was a small and very fuzzy caramel cat, with small paws and bright blue eyes. She was about the size of my hand.

I morphed into a jackal and stretched, letting my shoulders pop. I'd gone through another growth spurt shortly after Master Julius had taken the throne and as a side effect, outgrown my collar. I'd gone from being the size of, well, a jackal, to the size of a small horse. At least now my ears and paws didn't look so freakishly big.

 _Purr, purr._

I looked down. Sadie was entwining herself around my legs, rubbing her body up against my paws. I snorted, buffering her with hot air. If I had thought she was small when I was human, she was absolutely _tiny_ when I was a jackal.

 _Adorable, now c'mon,_ I said, directing my thoughts to her. She puffed up in surprise when my thoughts touched hers. She looked so much like a blonde sea urchin that I started laughing, which probably looked weird since I was a jackal, but it was funny. Sadie hissed and batted my paw with her claws in irritation.

 _Oh, I'm terrified,_ I snickered.

She growled, _I'm scary!_

I nodded, sobering up and tried to keep a straight face. _Of course you are. You are absolutely terrifying._

 _Thank you,_ she said primly, smoothing the fur on her head back down.

I snorted and shook my head. _c'mon, my terrifying creatur_ e, I said, showdow-traveling her into the middle of a forest, starting off into the trees. Sadie bounded after me. I stopped not two feet later, realizing that even with me walking, one stride of mine matched three of hers. She stopped, looking up at me.

 _You need to turn into something bigger if you're going to keep up,_ I said. _Try a jackal._

Her little nose wrinkled up again and her form got slightly bigger.

 _Okay, well, a wolf is close enough,_ I said, looking down at the skinny caramel wolf that was looking back at me. Her eyes were still that pretty shade of blue.

 _Where are we going?_ She inquired as we started off again. She was still very small, about a third of my size.

 _Oh, it's a surprise,_ I said sweetly, making an effort not to step on her. She plodded along, brushing her side up against my leg whenever I stopped to make sure we were going the right way.

Gods, she's affectionate. She went from falling apart at the seams, to positively purring about everything. Hormones are weird.

The walk seemed to go forever. Huge trees had fallen down at some point, and with my new size, this was no problem, but I did have to lift Sadie up by the ruff of her neck-which she did not enjoy-to get her cleared. Other places were slick with mud and Sadie nearly broke her neck when she slipped.

Finally we got there. Sadie gasped.

There was a waterfall gushing down from an outcropping of rock. The water gathered in a small pond that flowed into a sliver around a large willow tree. Ever-present fog clung to the ground. This was my favorite place in the Duat

 _It's beautiful,_ she said in awe.

 _Yes, it is,_ I agreed, lying down on the damp grass. Sadie turned back into a cat and started jumping from place to place, inspecting everything with a curiosity that told how young she was. I snorted, watching her bat at the water with her paw.

 _Are you done my love?_ I teased, patting a spot of ground beside me with my paw.

 _Yes, I suppose,_ she said, plodding back towards me. Instead of lay where I had offered, she curled up next to me, burrowing into my fur. I snorted in amusement and laid my head down next to her.

 _How cute, she's already asleep,_ I said affectionately, looking down at a snoozing Sadie, bundled up in my side.

 _What's wrong with m_ e? I never used to be so whipped about a female before. Sure, I loved Sadie, but I used to get so exasperated at her about the smallest of things. Now it was the smallest of things that made me smile. How she jumped up and down when she put her jeans on, how her cheeks turned red when she got upset, how she seemed to look at her stomach in the mirror, worriedly looking for any hint or sign that her baby was growing. The smallest, simplest little things made me start grinning.

 _This must be what it's like to be completely and absolutely in love_ , I thought dizzily, looking down at Sadie, the rise and fall of her side as she breathed. I couldn't even imagine my existence without her anymore. Waking up with the intent to see her before I went to sleep was sometimes the only thing that got me out of bed. Yes, she could be annoying and crazy and impossible to deal with…but she could also be really sweet and loving.

 _I love you Sadie,_ I thought towards her. _I really, really do._


	5. Chapter 5

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A month went by in the same routine. I spent the day alone and Anubis would visit me at night, sleep by my side, and be gone in the mornings. Sometimes he stayed with me for breakfast, or if I was lucky, half a day.

By this time I was about two months along. Due to Mrs. Brown's nausea potions, I could eat as much as I wanted, and as a result, my stomach started to expand a bit. Anubis was positively gleeful, I on the other hand, was getting a bit cranky. I couldn't get full, I couldn't stop gaining weight- and I knew for a fact I was bigger than I should be-and I was constantly irritable.

Anubis, for his part, was trying to be supportive, I knew that. He told me I looked very lovely even when I knew for a fact that I did not. He brushed my tears away when my hormones got to be too much. When I was too overbearing, he rode it out. At times, I wanted to strangle him for not yelling back at me, but in the end, I was-mostly-very grateful for him.

"Sadie," Anubis called.

I groaned and rolled over in bed. I don't care what he did; I wasn't getting out of these blankets today.

His head appeared in the door and I burrowed deeper down in the bed.

"Sadie," he said in amusement, looking down at me. "Are you really trying to hide from me, on the bed? The one place you are _guaranteed_ to be?"

I glowered at him. "'m sleepy and I'm not moving!"

He laughed, "I take it you're worn out from yesterday? Physical exhaustion?" he teased.

I could feel my face heat up. Yesterday we had gone to Anubis's special pocket of the Duat, and on the way there I was fine, on the way back I had nearly passed out from exertion on the way back down. About halfway back Anubis had taken pity on my and let me ride between his shoulder blades in my cat form. I was very out of shape apparently. In fact, I was still feeling sore in my thighs and shoulders, despite the fact that I had been sleeping for about ten hours.

"I don't get it!" I finally exclaimed, sitting up and wringing my hands when Anubis sat down on the edge of my bed. "The first time we went I didn't have any problems-"

"You weren't two months pregnant the last time we went," Anubis said patiently. "Gods require a lot of energy to grow and you physically exerting yourself, even a little, is more tiring than it would normally be."

I growled and flopped back down. "I hate being lazy," I whined. "It drives me insane. I want to run and fly and _move_ …but at the same time I want to sleep around and eat none-stop."

Anubis chuckled, "I'm sorry you're uncomfortable."

I threw a pillow at him and he caught it easily, raising an eyebrow down at me. "Really Sadie? You really want to do that? You can't run away and I am much stronger than you."

I crossed my arms, "you can't get me."

He smiled serenely, then before I could even move away, he lunged forward and pinned me down. No matter how hard I squirmed or twisted, I couldn't get up. Finally I stopped and panted, trying to catch my breath.

"So easily tired out," he teased, leaning down to kiss me. The second his lips touched mine an…. _idea_ popped into my head.

 _I suppose there can be more than one way to get a little exercise,_ I thought mischievously, wrapping my legs around Anubis's waist and holding him to me tighter, deepening the kiss.

He stiffened slightly, "Sadie," he murmured. I tangled my fingers in his hair and pulled him closer.

"Mm, I want a little attention," I purred, trying to sound seductive.

He raised an eyebrow, "aren't you getting enough?"

"Not that kind of attention," I said breathily.

He looked confused for a moment, before the realization set in. An evil grin spread across his face, "How cute, you're horny-"

"I am not-!" I said in indignation.

"Oh, alright," he said with mock innocence. "Then I guess I can go-"

"No!"

He smiled deviously, "well now, you want something?"

I nodded, my cheeks turning pink.

"Hm, whatever could my lady be pining for? Oh, if only I knew-!"

"Anubis!"

He laughed and slid his hands down from my shoulders to my breasts, rubbing them. I arched up and glared at him. He knew what I wanted and he was teasing me!

"Oh, am I forgetting something?" he said innocently.

I snarled and wrapped my legs around his waist, pinning him to me. He paled and I rubbed up against him slow and hard until he was quite _eager_.

"Now then," I purred, "do me properly, please."

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 _I think I was too rough,_ I though, looking down at Sadie fondly. She was curled in a ball, fast asleep. Amazing what a little 'attention' could do. Sadie was practically purring, her breasts, hips, and spine decorated with love bites.

 _Perhaps those were a little much,_ I thought guiltily. My guilt died quickly though when I looked down and saw what she'd done to _me_.

"Territorial much?" I teased gently. She didn't even stir.

 _Of course she didn't,_ I thought amusedly. _Our walk tired her out yesterday, several rounds of sex today polished her off. She shouldn't be up for a little while._

I petted her hair and kissed her one more time before gathering my cloths and returning to the hall.

"Anubis?"

I looked up from the scroll I was studying. Master Julius was in the doorway, watching me work. Guilt flooded my mind. I always felt awful when I looked at him now, thinking of the secret I was keeping from him, tucked into the Duat.

"Yes?"

He rubbed his neck. I tried to ignore the fact of how imposing he looked, even when I knew he wouldn't hurt me. Would he though-? If he knew what I was hiding in the Duat? _Who_ I was hiding-?

"I just wanted to say, thank you," Master Julius said, jolting me from my thoughts.

"I didn't-what?"

He gestured to a chair next to my bed. "May I?"

I nodded cautiously.

He sat down and studied me with a look of fatherly affection, which only made the guilt worse. For a fleeting moment, I wanted to break down and tell him everything. I wanted to beg forgiveness for impregnating Sadie, for disobeying and sneaking around with her, to ask him what to do-but then I remembered I couldn't. Asking forgiveness would imply that I regretted it. I didn't regret a single moment I'd had with Sadie, even the tough ones.

"You've been working very hard," Osiris stated, bringing my attention back to the present. "Perhaps a little too hard."

I had been prepared for a stern lecture on not letting my duties slip, not this fatherly affection and concern.

"What?"

He spread his hands. "You have been working very diligently since I have come back, and for that I'm proud of you, but at the same time…I think you might be over-working yourself, Anubis."

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You've been working so hard that you barely have time to sleep, and I respect that you want to help, but…you're starting to look a little worse for wear."

I blinked and looked at my reflection on the vanity across my room. I guess my cheeks were a little hollow; the sleepless circles under my eyes seemed a little darker than usual. Maybe I _was_ stressing a little.

"What do you want me to do? Stop working?"

Master Julius shook his head. "Of course not. You're a vital part of the hall, it can't run without you. But…perhaps you could take a small vacation from your duties?"

I frowned. Take a break from my duties? What was I supposed to do if I wasn't running the hall? Sadie-

Sadie!

"Is it mandatory that I stay in the hall?" I asked hesitantly.

Osiris frowned, "where would you go?"

I shrugged, "spend some time with a friend."

He raised an eyebrow and I crossed my arms in response. "It's very offending that you think me incapable of making a friend."

"I-no-of course not! I just never thought…" he trailed off, realizing he was making the situation worse.

I tried to look offended, despite the fact that he was right. I didn't have any friends. If Sadie hadn't literally walked in and forced her company on me, I'd be stuck with just Nico. I don't think that counted as friendship though-getting bored every few years and trying to kill each other, with varying degrees of success.

"I suppose you can go…wherever it is…" he said slowly.

"Thanks," I said, sliding off the bed. I had clothes already at the temple; I really didn't need to bring anything.

Osiris opened his mouth as if to say something, but I dissolved into the shadows before he could. I didn't want to have to lie if he asked me where I was going.


	6. Chapter 6

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I climbed the steps of my temple, happier that I had been in a long time. The prospect of spending as much time as I wanted with Sadie filled my heart with warmth. I couldn't wait to have her to myself for a while.

I rounded the corner of the hall, knocking softly on her door.

No answer.

I frowned, poking my head in the door. She wasn't asleep on the bed as I assumed she'd be. I cocked my head to the side. Sadie had been sleepy most of the day for the past month and I'd been making a point to spoil her rotten and let her sleep all she wanted.

I rubbed my hands together, wondering where she would be-

The kitchen.

Obviously.

The only thing that could drag that my Sadie out of bed was food. Hunger won out exhaustion, I suppose. I turned on my heels and started to the kitchen.

When I got there, I was momentarily confused. I didn't see Sadie anywhere. Mrs. Brown had her back to me, stirring something on the stove. A fluffy blonde cat was on the counter-

"Obtained a pet, have you?" I asked in amusement.

Mrs. Brown turned and waved her spoon at me. Sadie ignored us both.

"That child is most definantly yours," she said, prodding Sadie's swollen stomach with the tip of her spoon. Sadie batted her away and resumed lapping up her bowel of what looked like milk.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, coming over to stand by Sadie.

"She's got a fierce craving for _Salab_ ," Mrs. Brown said, gesturing to the bowl of steaming white cream. "You used to drink it by the pint, and she's been gorging herself on it all morning."

I laughed softly, looking at Sadie.

"Is that so? Why is she in a cat form?"

Mrs. Brown waved her spoon at Sadie. "She got stuck like that and she's been mewing under my feet all morning, so I put her up on the cabinet to keep from tripping on her."

Sadie rubbed her body against my hand, making me smile. I rubbed her belly gently. Her stomach was swollen from all the _Salab_.

"You look tired, my Lady Kane," I teased. I turned to ask Mrs. Brown if she was always like this. Her eyes seemed awful heavy. She stumbled slightly and her paw caught the rim of her bowl.

Both fell off the counter with a crash. I jumped back and looked at my mate, sitting in a puddle of Salab, her fur soaked with white droplets of _Salab_.

"Are you okay?" Mrs. Brown fettered, looking down at her.

Sadie sniffled and hid her face in her paws.

"I think her pride's more wounded that anything," I chuckled. I bent down and lifted her up. She was definantly heavier than she had been last time. I smiled wirily, looking at her swollen tummy.

"C'mon butterball, let's get that out of your fur," I said fondly, holding her to my chest. "You're going to get all sticky." I walked out of the kitchen.

She morphed human and glowered at me as we rounded the corner. "Don't call me Butterball!"

I raised an eyebrow and rubbed her belly. "Why not, Butterball?"

She hissed at me in irritation and crossed her arms.

"Are you going to pout now?" I teased. "What a shame, I had good new to tell you."

She was silent for a moment, but eventually curiosity out won her pride and she looked at me curiously.

"What is it?"

I smiled down at her, "well, you know…it's my vacation and all, and I get to spend it with you."

Her eyes lit up, filling my heart with warmth.

"I didn't know you took breaks," Sadie said.

"For you, I do."

She grinned and hopped out of my arms, throwing her arms around my waist.

"From seething in anger, to hugging me," I said fondly, petting her hair. "You are unpredictable, Butter-"

"Don't call me Butterball!"

I chuckled and gave her a bow, "Of course, My Lady Kane." Those pretty eyes seemed to flash with malice, but I smiled, happy I could get such a passionate response out of her. She rolled her eyes at my lack of temper and jumped back in my arms, none-too-eager to walk on her own two feet.

"Tsk, tsk, I _am_ spoiling you," I observed.

She blushed and nuzzled my neck. "'mm, I have you all to myself. What am I to do?"

I smiled, "What do you want to do?"

She thought for a moment and a sneaky grin spread across her face.

"I could think of a way to pass the time," she said, fluttering her eyes.

"I _am_ spoiling you," I teased. She grinned.

By sundown I was sweaty and pleasantly tired. Sadie dropped immediately and fell asleep, exhausted and sex-sated for the moment. I'd brought her to orgasm enough times that she probably wasn't going to be able to walk tomorrow.

I yawned and stood up. Sadie definantly looked happier. Her skin gleamed and there was a shine to her hair. It was amazing what a few months of spoiling could do. She looked like a different person, happy and healthy, just a little bit bigger around her tummy. I smiled, leaning down to kiss her heated skin, murmuring an 'I love you' to my unborn child. Sadie shifted slightly, winced, and decided she didn't want to move.

I smiled and shook my head, heading towards the shower to rinse the cum off my body.

I woke up to a chill going down my spine. I groaned and stretched my arm out, feeling around for Sadie's warm figure.

She wasn't there. I bolted up in a panic, looking for my mate. She wasn't in here, but the door was cracked. I sighed through my nose and swung my legs out of bed.

 _I bet she's snacking,_ I thought sleepily, pulling my jacket off the chair and shrugging it on, squinting at the light. I flourished my hand, bringing the bright flames down to a soft glow so I could see.

I leaned on the wall as I walked, yawning and trying not to stumble, but I snapped awake when I got to the kitchen.

Sadie was sitting at the table in her pajamas, a cup of steaming Salab in front of her, crying her heart out in her hands and clutching her stomach. Mrs. Brown was rubbing her shoulders in a comforting manner, but it wasn't working. Sadie was still sobbing brokenly.

My feet moved on their own accord and I found myself picking her up and calmly walking out of the kitchen before I realized what I was doing. Halfway down the hall, Sadie threw her arms around my neck and sobbed harder.

"Hush, there, there," I soothed, bringing her back into my room and sitting on the edge of our bed.

"Beautiful, what are you crying for?" I asked gently, hugging her to me.

"N-nightmare," She sobbed.

I sighed and rubbed her shoulders, knowing full and well how awful her dreams could get. I let her cry a little longer and she started to confess what she was crying about.

In her dream, she had suffered a miscarriage and I had been furious with her. I'd raised my fist to her in her dream. She'd woken up briefly, only to be too weak and fall back asleep to suffer through another one. In the second nightmare, she'd had our baby, but I had decided I didn't love her and I had left her and my child with her and the child had grown up to hate her and blame her for not having a father.

Sadie dissolved into another round of tears and I cooed at her the entire time that she was the best thing that had happened to me and I loved her. I repeated that I loved her so many times I thought I would lose my voice. I promised I would never hit her and that our baby was going to be happy and healthy and as pretty as she was.

Eventually, she lost her voice from weeping and she lay in a shaking mess in my lap.

"There, there," I soothed. "It's alright. "Now, c'mon, you've worn yourself out crying like that. Go back to sleep baby and in the morning I will make for certain that our baby will be okay, alright?"

She sniffled and nodded.

I lay back down with her and pulled her into me, burying my face in her neck. She took in a shaky breath and I put my hand on her tummy, letting her fingers entwine with mine.

"I love you," I said one more time, but Sadie was already out.


	7. Chapter 7

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I looked down at my mate, fast asleep on my arm. Weak light was streaming through the window, illuminating her with a soft glow. I gently smoothed her hair away from her face, running my thumb over her cheek where her tears had fallen the night before.

"You silly girl," I murmured. "As if I could ever leave you. I'm so wrapped around your fingers I couldn't ever be without you."

She nuzzled closer as I moved, intent on getting up. I sighed and lay back down, waiting patiently for her to wake up so I could leave the bed. I ran my hands down her back, patting her belly as I went.

"My poor, poor Sadie," I murmured. "Are you ever going to see how beautiful you are?"

"Probably not," Sadie mumbled.

I almost jumped out of my skin. "Sadie! How long have you been up?!"

She nuzzled my chest, squirming closer to me. "Just a little while. Mm, you're warm."

I pulled her closer. Sadie was like a personal space heater. The only reason I was warm was because I'd had her curled next to me all night. I smiled, burying my nose in her neck.

"You have such a high body temperature," I murmured, hugging her tightly. It was like having a personal sun, warming me and brightening my day up-even if she could be irritating.

"I'm glad you think I'm hot," Sadie said sweetly. "But I'm _starving_. Food would be lovely."

"Oh, yes, you look famished," I teased, running my fingers across her stomach, making her bubble with laughter. She writhed at my hands.

"Anubis!" she laughed. "Stop it!"

I danced my fingers around, grinning as she laughed, trying her hardest to squirm away.

Eventually I let her go and she panted, curled over her belly so I couldn't tease her again. I smiled and she looked up to glare at me. I grinned playfully, leaning down to nip at her nose.

"You're quite cheerful," Sadie pointed out, giving up on pretending to be mad at me and cuddled closer to me. She looked confused. Then I remembered on the few daybreaks that I stayed with her before, I'd been grouchy and irritable. For some reason, I felt a lot of remorse over that all of a sudden.

"I used to hate mornings," I admitted to her, tucking piece of loose hair behind her ear.

"Why the change?" Sadie asked quizzically, looking up at me with big innocent blue eyes. My heart melted.

"Before morning were a reminder that I was alone," I explained, trying to word this correctly. I rarely ever talked about my feelings. It felt strange, in a way, but nice too.

"The hall was quiet and bunny and cold. The only beings around were the dead, and they were depressing company most of the time. I sort of had one friend, but Nico and I just tried to kill each other every now and then, so I don't think that really counts. Sometimes he'd wander in for food and to catch up with me, but he stopped for a little while…I don't even know if he's still alive." Sorrow filled my heart and I realized my one and only 'friend' was probably dead or had forgotten about me. I couldn't decide which option hurt more.

Then I had a warm had brushing my cheek. I didn't even realize I was crying until Sadie did that. I buried my head in her neck, vaguely aware that I was shaking softly.

"Hush, its okay Anubis," Sadie soothed.

"Well, it is _now_ ," I said, my voice muffled by her shoulder. "You're here."

I let myself wallow in my own grief for a few more moments, mostly to lap up her attention. Sadie pet my hair and rubbed my back and it felt so good to feel the warmth of her hands and the lovingness of the gesture that I didn't want to move.

"Why are you so happy about mornings now if everything is so miserable?" Sadie asked curiously, letting me go. I put my chin on her head, mostly so she couldn't see me blushing about my behavior.

"Because now I have you," I admitted quietly. "I'm not alone. Even if you can be irritating and steal the covers, and eat half the food off my plate, I still love you. And now," I added pressing my hand to her stomach, "I'm really not alone. I have you and our child."

I stole a peek at her. Sadie's cheeks were lit up in a blush so bright it seemed to illuminate the room.

"I love you," Sadie said, her face turning even redder.

I cupped her cheek, "I hope you never stop doing that."

"What?"

"Turning red," I said sweetly. "It's very cute."

She scowled and punched me in the shoulder, her feisty gleam coming back to her eyes. It warmed my heart, even if it did hurt my arm.

"I need breakfast," Sadie said again, snuggling into bunny me. "Your offspring requires food."

I chuckled and prodded her belly with my hand, "you aren't very far along for how hungry you are."

She pouted, but there was real hurt in her eyes, "Are you calling me a pig?"

"Of course not," I assured her. "But I'm taking you out today, so you better eat and get ready."

She blinked, "where are we going?"

"To see an acquaintance," I said.

"Anubis, are you sure?" Sadie asked for the hundredth time.

" _Yes_."

She bit her lip, "I just don't want you to get in trouble."

I looked up at the Eighth House of Rest and sighed. If we were turned in, she would be the one in trouble. She could be executed. The thought made my blood run cold-or colder than it already was. Sadie was my sun; if she died my world went back to being frigid. At the thought, I almost turned on my heels and dragged her away.

 _No, she needs to be able to have access to a doctor,_ I thought firmly.

"C'mon, everything will be fine," I said, trying to make both her and myself believe it.

Sadie nodded and squeezed my hand, as if she knew I was only pulling a brave face for her.

Gods, she looked so beautiful. Her hair was up and her draping top and nice jeans made her look like a queen. Her fierce blue eyes were rimmed with a fine line of kohl. What was I going to do if this all went to hell?

"C'mon, we aren't doing anything out here," Sadie said. She grabbed my hand and pulled me up the steps.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

" _Yes_."

I stifled a smile at how impatient she sounded.

We stood at the door and before I could have another second thought, Sadie raised her hand to knock.

There was a moment of silence while the sound of her knock echoed in our ears and we waited.

I'd met Tawaret before, but she still surprised me. The door flew open and a larger-than-life woman opened the door, saw Sadie and swept her up in a hug.

Tawaret looked as I remembered. Her black hair was up in a net and her grey-ish skin was smooth like a hippo's. Her stomach bulged in a state of permanent pregnancy.

"Oh, Sadie! You'll never guess," Tawaret gushed, releasing my mate. "I'm pregnant!"

"Fantastic, so am I," Sadie said.

"Well, dearie, you seem quite healthy," Tawaret appraised. "Someone's been taking awful good care of you."

Sadie was laid out on a hospital bed, several machines at her side. Tawaret was sitting next to her, looking over a paper that had Sadie's state of health: temperature, weight, height (short), etc.

"Yes, Anubis has been spoiling me rotten," Sadie admitted, trying to sit up. Tawaret placed a hand on her, pushing her back down gently.

"I need you to stay lying down."

"Alright," Sadie said. "…Where is Bes?"

"Oh, well, my cravings have been a bit, well, constant," Tawaret admitted, her grey cheeks turning pink. "He went out to get me more sushi."

Sadie wrinkled her nose. "Sushi?"

"I know, I used to hate it," Tawaret admitted. "Now I can't get enough. Have your cravings started?"

"Not really, I'm just hungry all the time, not for anything particular."

"Except sex," I muttered from the corner of the room.

"Oh, well, that's normal," Tawaret assured Sadie, whose face was turning bright red. "Now, you seem to be in fine health, if not a little warm. But I'm going to assume your usually a little on the warm side."

"Yeah, she's always like that,' I said, nodding.

"Okay, then we can start on looking at the baby," Tawaret said cheerfully. Sadie shifted nervously and Tawaret patted her hand in a motherly fashion, soothing Sadie a little.

"You two are both so cute, that baby will be absolutely gorgeous," Tawaret said. She reached for a bottle of blue gel on the cabinet and squirted it into her hand. "Raise up your shirt sweetie."

Sadie shifted and slid her shirt up, revealing her tan torso. There was the slightest curve to her stomach, too small to really notice-but my heart warmed never the less.

"I have to put this on so we can do an ultrasound," Tawaret explained, rubbing the goop on her hands together. Sadie shied away when Tawaret tried to touch her.

"It won't hurt," Tawaret assured her. She put her hand on Sadie and rubbed it in. Sadie squeaked in surprise and arched up. I darted to her side, thinking it actually had hurt her.

"It's just really, really cold," Sadie assured me, her teeth chattering.

"Yes, I should have warned you about that," Tawaret admitted. She reached for something attached to a cord and showed it to Sadie. "This will let us hear the baby's heartbeat."

Sadie nodded and looked at me, anxious and vulnerable. She squeaked again when Tawaret placed the lens on Sadie's belly, pressing the cold goo farther into her skin.

There was a static sound and rustle sound as Tawaret moved it around Sadie's stomach slowly.

Then a small tap-tap sound started. Sadie gripped my hand, her eyes widening.

"Is that- is that the baby?" Sadie asked softly.

"Babies," Tawaret corrected.

Sadie bolted up, making me jump. "What?!"

"There's more than one heartbeat here," Tawaret said, her eyes glittering.

"I-can I," Sadie swallowed hard. "Is there a way to see them?"

Tawaret smiled and nodded, "oh yes, if I turn on this screen, you can see them, but you have to lie back down."

My head was swimming. There was more than one. My Sadie was pregnant with twins.

"Love, are you okay?" Sadie asked weakly.

I looked down at her anxious face, so beautiful and trusting. I leaned down and clamped my lips on hers, kissing her lovingly.

"I'm more than okay," I assured her.

"Well, I hope so," Tawaret said, plugging in the screen. A fuzzy black image lit up the small screen.

"Oh dear, there's definantly more than one," Tawaret said smiling. She pointed out three small white lines.

"Triplets!" Sadie squeaked.

"No wonder you're already showing," Tawaret said, ruffling Sadie's hair.

"Can I sit down?" I asked weakly. Sadie looked at me in concern and I sat down on the bed next to her, trying desperately to see straight. Sadie sat up, looking genuinely concerned for me.

"Are you okay?" Tawaret asked worriedly.

"Um…maybe?"

Sadie's eyes took on a scared edge. "Y-you still want the babies right?"

"Of course, it's just hard to stomach-"

"Tell me about it," Sadie said, patting her stomach in an effort to make me smile. I chuckled and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"What am I going to do with you?" I teased weakly, patting her stomach.

By the time we arrived back at the temple, it wasn't my children I was worried about, it was Sadie. She seemed to have slipped into a state of shock after her attempt to make me laugh. Tawaret had ordered me to take her home and be gentle with her and contact her if Sadie wasn't back to normal by tomorrow morning-not even Tawaret would see her when Sadie was like this.

She gripped my hand tightly, letting me lead her up the steps. She didn't seem to be able to speak or process what I tried to say to her, so I stayed quiet. She didn't seem to be able to see straight either, because several times she nearly cracked her scull tripping over the steps.

She's going to kill herself before he even get to the door, I thought worriedly. I leaned down and scooped her up before she could trip again.

It was much easier to carry her than try to lead her. In minutes, we were at our room. Not really knowing what to do, I sat down on the windowsill, still holding Sadie to my chest. She was quiet and I think that bothered me more than anything else. I teased her about talking too much all the time, but that didn't mean I wanted her to stop. I loved hearing her constant babble and laughter-even if I wouldn't admit it to her.

After a few moments of me worriedly waiting for her to talk, Sadie shifted around so she had her back to my chest. She crossed her legs and settled down into me, pulling the ultrasound picture from her pocket. A tear slid down her cheek.

"No, no, no, please don't cry," I said, sitting up to wrap around her tightly. Gods of Egypt, I hated seeing her cry. "Tell me what's wrong, please."

She shook her head, looking shell-shocked. Her hand-shaking violently-clasped into mine and pulled it around to her stomach for a second she just sat there, trembling in my lap, holding my hand to her torso.

Through my concern, it dawned on me how tan her hand was. In the light, she looked like a golden statue, holding my ivory hand. It was quite a pretty picture-or it would have been if she didn't look so scared.

"What's wrong?" I asked again. "Please tell me."

She slowly turned her head and gave me a weak smile. 'I-I don't really know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything," I said, confused.

"I don't know if I can raise three kids," she said, her eyes filling with anxiety. "I can barely keep myself running, let alone-"

"Don't panic," I soothed. "It's okay. You'll be a fantastic mother. There's nothing to cry about, promise."

Sadie squirmed up and gave me a weak smile. "I suppose now I have a perfectly good excuse to be tired. _Three_ perfectly good excuses actually."

I chuckled and hugged her. It wasn't unusual for a goddess to carry more than one child, but I knew for a mortal, it was rare.

"I'm going to have to keep an eye on you, aren't I?" I teased gently. I kissed her warm neck and smelled her scent. She smelled pleasant, like spring and earth. She smelled like life.

"Are you sniffing me?" Sadie asked, a giggle breaking through.

"Mm, you smell good," I purred, nuzzling the curve of her neck with my nose. She giggled again and I smiled mischievously, knowing how ticklish she was. I slipped my hands under her shirt and began to dance my hands around her belly.

She burst into giggles and writhed in my lap, unable to control her laughter. It was so cute to watch her giggle that I kept on, until she was panting and worn out.

"Evil," she panted. "You are absolutely evil."

I kissed her nose, "mm, but you love me anyway."

She buried her head in my chest and stretched out, getting comfortable, "I suppose I do love you. And the three miniature you's as well."

I chuckled and looked down to tease her, but she was already asleep, snoozing on my chest. I hugged her tight.

"Oh, my love, if only you knew how much I loved you," I said lovingly.


	8. Chapter 8

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To say Mrs. Brown was excited would be an understatement. When Sadie woke up the next morning, yawning and drowsy, I walked her to the kitchen. I was used to only eating two meals a day (I wasn't really a lunch person), but apparently Sadie was not. She'd slept through dinner last night and was ravenous. She ate like she'd never seen food before. I, myself, sat across from her to avoid having my arm ripped off if I got too close to her breakfast.

"My, my," Mrs. Brown chirped. "Someone's hungry. Or two someone's I should say."

"Four," I corrected.

The color drained from my old nannie's face. For a second I was concerned she would be mad.

"YES!" she crowed. She jumped up and down and clapped her hands, simultaneously making the floor shake and our eardrums shatter. "I'M GETTING GRANDCHILDREN! I'M GETTING-"

"I'm getting a headache," I muttered.

Sadie looked at Mrs. Brown, dancing around. "You know, one might almost think they were your kids."

Mrs. Brown threw her arms around Sadie, startling my mate so much she nearly dropped her cup of tea.

"Oh, I knew you were just perfect the moment Anubis brought you in," she Mrs. Brown gushed, squeezing Sadie.

"That's nice, but I think that cracking sound was my spine," Sadie wheezed. Mrs. Brown let her go and Sadie sucked a breath into her bruised lungs.

"Are you full?" I inquired, hoping I could safely reach across the table for the orange juice.

Sadie nodded and yawned, "'m sleepy too."

I nodded. Tawaret had informed me that that was to be expected. Even though Sadie wasn't very far along at all, it was still draining a lot of her energy to sustain the babies, so she was likely to be drowsy often. The way Tawaret explained it, Sadie was basically maintaining a constant spell. She had to grow three other individual's organs, bones, skin, etc., and also whatever powers they might have. It was a wonder Sadie was even awake. She had no idea how long Sadie would carry, but she was just going to more easily tired out the farther along she was. The mere idea of it all was enough to exhaust me.

I stood up and offered Sadie my hand, "come with me, my love. You need rest."

Sadie smiled weakly and raised her arms like a small child. I rolled my eyes and picked her up.

"You are _spoiled_ ," I teased, carrying her out of the kitchen. Mrs. Brown was still celebrating, dancing with her pots and pans. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"You, my love, have just made Mrs. Brown the happiest woman in the world," I said sweetly.

Sadie rolled her eyes. "I can't imagine why. If I were in her shoes I would shudder at the idea of having three Anubis's running around."

"I will remember that comment when you're pining for me to pleasure you," I said dryly.

She scowled, "I don't _pine_. "

I rolled my eyes and let her slide. Arguing with Sadie was next to impossible and it usually ended up worse for me anyway. No need to set my tail on fire this early in the morning.

I put her down on the bed and she crawled in my lap. She looked down at her stomach and frowned, her hand brushing the curve of it. She was starting to just barely show.

"I still look okay, right?" she asked.

 _I could simply tell her yes, but she would ask again in five minutes,_ I thought.

"Hm," I said, pretending to think. "I don't know. Why don't you lie down so I can see better?"

Her eyes clouded with so much self-consciousness and anxiety that I almost told her it was just a joke.

She lay down on her back and I decided to stick to my plan. I gently brushed her shirt up till it was at her ribs, revealing her tummy. I smiled and leaned down, placing my lips at her waistband.

"Mm, I don't know," I murmured against her skin. "You're quite beautiful…I don't think 'okay' really qualifies as a description of you." I began to give slow, soft kisses up her torso. "Such soft skin, so pretty. You are quite amazing, my love. Growing godlings isn't something every mortal could do." I reached her ribs and I slid my hands to her small stomach. I rubbed gently and brushed my lips up her chest, along her neck. I kissed the line of her jaw and nibbled teasingly on her lips. Her breathing had turned ragged and she arched up eagerly as I touched her lips.

"So impatient, though," I teased.

Sadie squirmed, shimmying her shirt down.

"I think you're beautiful and I always will," I promised.

Her face was bright red. It warmed my heart to see her get so flustered by my attention.

"I love you," she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

I pressed my lips to her forehead, "I love you too."

 **Sorry this is a short chapter. Next week, I will have a longer one, promise! also, i am working on 'theories', which explains a lot of my theories and connotations pertaining to the Kane Chronicles. Hopefully a Tuesday posting. Pretty much a bunch of headcannons and such, perhaps a few short one-shots that i don't think are worth a whole new story. so...mayhaps a long posting next week. Look forward to it!**


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